So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)(51)

Sister Fallyn scoffed. “They only did this because they feel guilty.”

“If they were truly bad men,” Brigitta countered, “they wouldn’t feel guilty.”

“That’s right,” Jeffrey agreed. “They’re not bad at all.”

Sister Fallyn opened a drawstring pouch and removed the contents onto the bed. A hairbrush with a carved wooden handle, two toothbrushes with engraved silver handles, a small mirror made of polished silver, and a pottery jar tied shut with a ribbon.

Brigitta untied the ribbon and looked inside. “’Tis soap.” She took a sniff. Roses. It smelled so heavenly, she was tempted to take another shower.

Sister Fallyn picked up the hairbrush. “I was wondering how we would untangle yer wet hair.” She sighed. “’Twas thoughtful of them, I admit, but it makes me wonder how long they intend to keep us here.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Jeffrey turned to Brigitta. “Rupert wants you to eat dinner with him.”

Brigitta’s heart started to pound.

“Absolutely not!” Sister Fallyn declared. “She will not be alone with that man.”

“But he gave you all these nice presents.” Jeffrey gave Brigitta a hopeful look. “He just wants to talk to you.”

Sister Fallyn huffed. “Does he think we are easily swayed by a few trinkets?”

Brigitta winced. Perhaps she was being too easily swayed. “I have nothing to say to him until he agrees to release us.”

“Exactly.” Sister Fallyn gave a curt nod. “We must stand firm.”

Jeffrey’s shoulders slumped. “All right. I’ll tell him.” He wandered from the room.

With a groan, Brigitta trudged back to the table. She should have at least told Jeffrey to pass on their gratitude for the presents. “We might be hurting his feelings.”

“He’s a pirate and a sorcerer,” Sister Fallyn mumbled. “Why should we care how he feels?”

Why, indeed? Brigitta collapsed in a chair. She shouldn’t care. It would be foolish to care for her own kidnapper.

Don’t leave me. The voice of a younger Rupert haunted her. All the terror, grief, and despair she’d felt from his memories had now become memories of her own.

And somehow, he’d survived all that pain. He’d become a powerful man with an entire fleet at his disposal and the sheer force of the wind at his command. He’d become a man who rescued the innocent and protected his allies. He’d become a man of honor.

Goddesses help her, she did care.

*

“Well?” Rupert asked while Jeffrey fidgeted at the door to his cabin. “Did they like the presents?”

“I-I think so.”

“And did Brigitta agree to dine with me?”

Jeffrey hung his head and mumbled, “She said she has nothing to say to you until they’re released.”

Rupert stiffened, stunned for a moment. Brigitta was refusing him? Why? Was she that angry that he’d foiled her escape? He’d only done it to keep her safe.

He winced. Safe? He’d blown her into the water and nearly drowned her. And all because he felt an overwhelming need to protect her. Dammit. That vow he took as a child didn’t count anymore. There was no need for him to care so much.

But he did.

He dragged a hand through his wet hair. What should he do now? After Brigitta had finished washing up in the privy, he’d taken a shower and put on fresh clothing. During it all, he’d wondered why she reacted so badly every time he touched her. And he’d considered the best way to tell her about the competition Gunther was planning.

But now she was refusing to see him. Didn’t she care about her own future?

“Wait a minute,” he told Jeffrey, then strode toward his worktable. He shuffled through drawings of future inventions till he found a blank sheet of paper. After dipping a quill into an inkwell, he wrote: It is imperative that we talk. I thought you wanted to be in control of your own destiny. What happened to that?

He waved the paper in the air while he strode back to the door. With the ink dry, he folded it. “Deliver this to her right away.”

“Yes, Admiral.” Jeffrey scampered down the passageway, knocked on their door, then slipped inside.

Rupert paced barefoot about his cabin. She would agree to see him now. She had to.

His cabin was on the starboard end of the passageway, whereas Stefan’s room was on the portside. Their cabins occupied the back corners of the ship, with large windows overlooking the sea.

During the day, a great deal of light shone in, so Rupert liked using the room as a workshop. The long table was covered with drawings, metal parts, and tools. The large bed was mostly ignored, for he preferred to sleep under the stars. After seven years of living in caves and basements, he couldn’t bear the feeling of being cooped up.

A knock sounded at the open doorway and he whirled about. But it wasn’t Jeffrey with a response.

Stefan was standing there, holding his boots, hat, and mask. “You left these behind.”

“Thanks.” Rupert tossed the boots onto the floor.

Stefan handed him the hat and mask. “I think you should continue with the disguise.”

“She’s seen my face.”

“Lady Brigitta has, but Mistress Fallyn probably didn’t get a good look at you. And neither of them has seen the color of your hair. Besides, there are too many new crew members on the other ships. They might spot you through a spyglass. We can’t trust them yet, so you should still be careful.”